Eye protector



LSRSHM NGV.. 189

H, T. REEVE EYE PROTECTOR Filed OCT.. l2 1.917

af l l [WVM/70B HOWARD 71 /eEEvE HOWARD T. REEVE, 0F SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNO'R TO AMERICAN OPTICAL COMPANY, 0F SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIA- TTON OF MASSACHUSETTS.

EYE PROTECTOR.

Application led October 12, 1917. Serial No. 196,119.

To all whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, HOWARD T. REEVE, a subject of Great Britain, residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usetul Improvements in Eye Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto improvements in eye protectors and has particular reference to an improved construction of this character particularlyv adapted for use in the industries to protect the eyes of the wearer from ilying particles-or the like.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an improved transparent vision member adapted to be mounted in ay desired frame or support, which member while being clear, transparent and free from injurious effects as respects the vision of the wearer, will be so constructed as to aord maximum resistance to the blow oi a ying particle thereagainst, and will eliminate to the greatest possible degree lia 2 bility of either the particle or chips from the transparent protecting member being driven into the eye of the wearer.

Other objects and advantages ot my improved construction should 'be readily apparent by reference to the following specitication taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and'it will be understood that T may make any modifications in the speciiic details of construction shown and described within the scope of the appended claims without departing trom or exceeding the spirit of my invention.

Figure T represents a front View of a protector embodying my improvement Figure TT represents a vertical sectional view ot one form thereof.

Figure ITI represents a similar view of another form. A

Figure TV represents a similar view of a form employing a coquille or meniscus outer member.

Figure V is a sectional view illustrating the use ot a slightly dill'erent form of spacing member.

Figure VI represents a plan view of one ot my buer rings.

Fi re VIT represents an enlarged detailed sectional view of the attachment of the spacing member illustrating the exact relationship of the several parts.

Tn the drawings, in which similar characters of reference are employed to denote sired substance, but preferably of a substance having inherent resiliency so as to allow of a slight yielding movement of the disc or lens 4 upon a blow thereagainst and to a certain extent take up the shock of the blow. Among other materials contemplated as usable in connection with the invention T might suggest the use of rubber, felt, celluloid, or the like.

By reference to Figure TI it will be seen that the complete lens comprising the members 4 and 5 and the interposed buffer or shock absorber and spacing member 6 are mounted and retained within the frame 2, while when a flying particle strikes against the glass 4 with sufficient shock to shatter an ordinary lens the initial shock will exert its force partially against the lens on account .of the inertia of the lens and partially against the member 6 as the lens yields thereagainst, while in the event that the force of the blow is sufficient toshatter the member 4 the force will be largely taken up in the shattering and rearward driving ot' particles of the lens 4 on account of its partial yielding movement due to the presence of the buffer 6, while there will be disposed behind the lens 4 and spaced therefrom the heavy lens member 5, against which the particles 4 or the object itself, if -of sucient Velocity, will strike. This lens, however, will preferably be of especially tempered or practically unbreakable glass, and in view of the minimizing of the blow through the member 4 and the spacing bu'er 6 will resist almost any ordinary shock, or it not entirely resisting it will probably ofnly' be cracked andfnot driven into the eye ot the wearer, while the time necessary for the particle to pass through the member 4 and space 7 will permit the wearer to close the Ilid of the eye and preyent any matter forced past certain attempts have been made to ythereagains't that on account of the glass and produce a satisfactory nou-breakable lens, employing two separated discs with alayer of celluloid or other. transparent material cemented therebetween. I have found, however, by experimentation with lenses of this character that while they will to a Very great degree resist piercing by particlesvstriking intimate contact between theseveral parts the force of a blow striking against the lens on the one side will cause vibrations through the structure sufficient to throw off l' chips or splinters from the lens on the opwhich the space 7 in filled with a suitable transparent liquid or h posite side and thus renders this less' dangerous to the user from the chips thrown off by the under lens through' the contact of the parts at the point receiving the blow and consequent vibratory transmission of the force even though` the blow is insufficient to e pierce or entirely shatter the entire structure. `on the yother hand due to the yielding mounting of the front lens and the space between the two lenses there is no direct transmitted force so that initial force is taken up by the first lens and only the particles of this lens pass across the space 7 and contact with the member 5 tending if at all to crack vor break this lens but not to throw ofi' chips from the rear face of it.'

In Figure III, I have illustrated a further slight modification of my invention, in place of eing empty is jelly like substance 8 which will have further shock absorbing properties to yield to a blow and tend to take up the force of it without having sufficient body to transmit shattering vibrations.

In Figure IV, I have shown a structure similar to Figure II,l with the exception that I have in this form employed a thin front member 4 of meniscus or coquille shape, curving outwardly and thus presenting an arch to better resist blows thereagalnstand retard the flying particle.

It will be noted that in Figure IV the lens 4 is shown as of concavo convex form, the rear or concave face being ground off to a substantially fiat or plain surface to Elproperly fit against the spacing member or ring as in the other figures of the drawings, while the opposite or convex face is bevelled 0E to properly fit a frame or other retaining member 2.

Figure VI shows the ring in detail and is intended to bring out the fact that the ring With my improved construction' disc, vand is disposed at ythe edge only of the lenses, leaving vision through the centralaperture l0 thereof and elimlnating any solid connection between the two lenses which could transmit undesirable vibrations. To secure most desirable visual results when the ring is employed Ipreferably secure it in position as by the layer of cement or kother similar material 11, disposed each side thereof, and bind it around the edge with a suitable binder l2 holdin the two lenses and interposed ring togetlier in a unitary structure which may be more readily mounted or placed. within a frame.

If desired to secure a more pronounced yielding effect, I may if desired make use of a Celluloid or other ring of U form in cross section, as shown in Figure V, the ring having a lateral spring, tending to allow the edges to come together and thus form a very desirable shock absorber.

kI claim:

l. In an eye protector, the-combination with a frame having a single lens-receiving groove, of a air of lenses having their edges received wit in the groove, a rin interposed between said lenses adjacent t eir periphery and means for uniting the lenses with the ring to form a single unitary structure. 2. In an eye protector, the combination with a frame havin a single lens-receiving groove, a forward impact-receiving lens, a second eye-protecting lens disposed rearwardly of the first lens, a ring interposed between said lenses adjacent their periphery and means for uniting the lenses with the ring to form a single unitary structure.

3. In goggles, a lens structure comprising separable eye protectingv and guard discs, one of which is of concavo-convex form and as a marginal portion of its concave face ground to provide a seat opposing the other a clamping ring encircling and connecting said discs.

4. A unitary protection element for use in connection with eye protectors or the like, comprising a pair of transparent discs, an annular spacing member dis osed between the discs substantially outsi e the normal field of vision, embracing the edges of the discs for retaining the parts together and permitting of their insertion or removal as an entlrety from .a retaining frame.

5. An eye protecting device comprising a pair of transparent discs and a peripherally interposed annular resilient spacing member between the edges only of the discs, said spacing member being disposed outside the-normal field of vision through the discs and insuring physical discontinuity of the discs and permitting of their relative yielding, both discs being bevelled on their outer faces to together form a V edge whereby the and means encircling and .edges of the two discs may be grasped by a the marginal portion of its concave face bevelled to provide a seat opposed to the other lens member, and means for securing the parts together, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

7. A compound eye protector lens comprising a pair of discs, one of which is of concavo-convex form having its convex face bevelled and its concave face flattened in the marginal zone, whereby a seat on the concave face is provided opposed to the other disc and a seat on the convex face is provided for an enclosing frame.

8. An eye protector lens including a pair of opposed discs, one of said discs being of concavo-convex form, and a spacing member marginally interposed between the discs, the concavo-convex disc having its concave side marginally flattened to properly fit and irmly seat against the spacing member, substantially as illustrated.

9. An eye protector lens including a pair of opposed discs, one of said discs being of concavo-convex form, a spacing member marginally interposed between the discs, the concavo-convex disc having its concave side marginally flattened to properly tit and firmly seat against the spacing member, both of said discs having their outer faces bevelled, and an enclosing rim engaging the bevelled outer faces and binding the parts together in a unitary structure.

ln testimony whereof I have aixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HUWARD T. REEVE.

Witnesses:

EDrrH M. HALvoRsEN, ESTHER M. LAFLEIR. 

